What
cold-hearted atheist could gaze upon such a sight and not be filled with
marvel and reverence – not for some vague deity created to explain ancient
mysteries, but for the barely imaginable grandeur and power of nature? We could
practically hear Darwin whispering in our ears to take note of condors soaring
effortlessly while we plodded, of scorpions scurrying about while we slept, and
of healthy plants that thrive on less than 10 inches of rain per year. We felt
God could only be superfluous to such scenery, and would unnecessarily
complicate the story behind of this massive mechanism at work.

If non-believers want to gather and sing and feel good about
themselves, more power to them. The secular among us should find as many ways
to get together and be happy as they can. Just because it’s not my cup of tea
doesn’t mean others shouldn’t participate.

Specifically – obviously – women (who are over ½ the U.S. population) have been getting screwed by religion since well before whatever fiction writer dreamt up the story of The Fall in Genesis. (There, Eve is forever blamed for original sin because she... what now? Ate from the Tree of Knowledge? Oh, please. If God were just, he would have given her a medal instead of kicking her out of the Garden.)

For the third time that day, I was among people who had a deep appreciation for science, reason, and humanity in a way that did not invoke anything supernatural to gain that appreciation. We humans made that art, that child, and that spaceship. People took the risks associated with those creations and accepted those consequences.

God Particle. Please. If anything, the new (overwhelming) evidence for this particle paints God into a tinier corner than he was already in. It answers one more question about how the universe works that God doesn’t. This evidence allows us to focus more directly on a path to more discovery about the nature of mass, time, and space.

Skeptics are almost always at a disadvantage when doing major media appearances. Many talk shows seem to cater to heavily believer-based audiences, and seek to entertain more than to inform — despite presenting a façade of scientific or journalistic inquiry. Such was the case with my appearance on the Dr. Phil Show on May 25th.

So when the Dr. Phil Show called CFI looking for someone to represent the side skeptical of psychic claims, I was pleasantly surprised. John Edward, whom I’ve written about in Skeptical Inquirer, appeared on Dr. Phil this past January, and now they were doing another show with skepticism being represented.